CancerConnections

CompleteLife Launches First Mondays Program for Patients and Families Coping with Cancer

The Indiana University Cancer Center CompleteLife Program has recently launched its First Mondays, a monthly event for patients and families coping with cancer. First Mondays is a unique program designed to create a community of healing support, education and enjoyment for participants. It is held on the first Monday of each month from 5-8pm in the Indiana Cancer Pavilion on the IUPUI campus in Indianapolis.

Each evening begins with a light meal served from 5-6pm in the first floor atrium of the pavilion. Staff members strive to create a comfortable environment where patients, family members, and cancer center group leaders can relax, socialize, and build connections. Attendees are welcome to enjoy the buffet, fellowship and, on occasion, some wonderful live, acoustic music. At 6pm, attendees will split off into various groups. The three groups meeting in February are 1) Support for Newly Diagnosed Patients, 2) Support for Cancer Survivors Redefining Life After Diagnosis and Treatment, and 3) Coping Support for Multiple Myeloma Patients and Caregivers. In upcoming months, additional offerings will include a nutrition education program for newly diagnosed cancer patients and an art expression support group for children of cancer patients.

The First Mondays program is offered without charge to participants; however, prior registration is required. Please call (317) 278-6663 to register with a group leader. First Mondays is a community-wide program open to anyone diagnosed with cancer and their families, not only those patients being treated at IU.

CompleteLife is an innovative interdisciplinary psycho-oncology program specializing in meeting the emotional, spiritual, and physical needs of cancer patients in the Indiana University Cancer Center. The goal of CompleteLife is to improve the well-being of individuals with cancer, their family, and their community by providing a comprehensive network of support services that tap into the resources of social work, individual and group therapeutic support, psychiatric care, nutritional consultation, art and music expression as well as therapy, massage and appearance consultation. Many CompleteLife activities and events, including the First Mondays program, are made available free-of-charge in large part by generous, visionary donors and by energetic, compassionate volunteers.

For more information about CompleteLife, visit http://cancer.iu.edu/patients/support/complete_life/. For information about upcoming First Mondays, visit the Indiana University Cancer Center calendar of community events at http://cancer.iu.edu/news/comm_events.php.